Theater May Be Gutted
The Raymond Theater, Pasadena, Calif.
Credit: Friends of the Raymond Theatre
Feb. 26, 2002
Dear Preservation 911,
Pasadena's historic Raymond Theater is slated to be converted to apartments and a commercial complex. Friends of the Raymond are requesting emergency donations to help preserve the Raymond Theater as a vital historic and cultural asset of the city of Pasadena, Calif.
Built in 1921, the 1,800-seat theater is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally Jensen's Raymond Theater, it was known as Lowe's Crown Theater in the 1940s and Perkins Palace in the 1970s. Van Halen, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Gladys Knight, Fleetwood Mac, Waylon Jennings, Jimmy Buffet, and the Go Gos played at the Raymond. It has been the site of many films, such as Spinal Tap and The Bodyguard. In the 1980s it hosted the NBC television series "Rock and Roll Tonight: Live from Perkins Palace."
But in 1991 the theater's owner closed it and sold it to a local developer who intended to convert the theater into housing and retail space. The Pasadena community, preservationists, and people in the entertainment business and the arts came together to halt redevelopment of the Raymond. Together, Friends of the Raymond Theater has kept the theater standing for another decade.
Unfortunately, on Jan. 7, 2002, the city council voted to allow the owner, developer Gene Buchanan, to go forward with his redevelopment plans to convert the theater into a commercial and residential complex.
If this development is realized, the Raymond Theater will have three apartments in its stagehouse, four offices on the balcony, and retail space instead of a main auditorium. The damage to the theater from this development will be so severe that the Raymond will never be able to function as a live performance venue again.
Friends of the Raymond Theater was formed to save the theater, find a new owner, and restore and re-open it for live performances for the community. For 10 years, we have worked on feasibility studies, finding buyers, expert witnesses, etc., to make this goal a reality. However, after the city's vote, the Raymond is now in extreme jeopardy of being lost.
We have filed a lawsuit against the City of Pasadena for its decision to allow redevelopment of the theater. To continue our preservation effort, we are in need of donations to keep our lawsuit and advocacy ongoing. We are truly in the 11th hour of a 15-year effort to see the Raymond Theater preserved for our community.
If you would like to help us continue our fight for the Raymond Theater, we would be grateful for a donation of any amount. We are also seeking a buyer for the theater.
Your donation can be made to: Friends of the Raymond Theater, P.O. Box 91189, Pasadena, CA 91109-1198.
If you have any questions regarding a donation, please feel free to call us at (818) 541-9522. If you would like to be added to our list of supporters and receive updates on the Raymond Theater's progress, please e-mail us.
Thank you for helping us preserve the Raymond Theater.
Sincerely,
Gina Zamparelli
Executive Director, Friends of the Raymond Theatre
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